Lotte Group, recently on the news for disputes over management control between the founder's sons, said on August 7 that it would employ 24,000 new workers by 2018.
This is part of its effort to respond to the government's drive to relieve the youth unemployment problem while at the same time investing for the future for the group's sustainable growth.
The total number of employees within the group is currently 95,000. Including temporary workers, the payroll reaches 130,000. Even including those salespeople at retail floors and other indirect employment effects, the figure is as high as 350,000. Lotte Group expected the direct hiring number to rise to 155,000 by 2020, up 60 percent from now, while the total employment number including indirect job creation effects reaching 590,000.
In addition, the group will lead the society-wide campaign to expand hiring of women and the handicapped, as well as the hiring practice focusing more on skills rather than educational attainment. As part of this commitment, Lotte has already selected more than 35 percent of new hires from female applicants and plans to raise the ratio to 40 percent this year. It has strengthened its skills-first hiring practice by mandating applicants not to include any item unrelated to work skills such as the photo, awards, and other activities (such as extracurricular activity and overseas language training).
Lee In-won, vice chairman of Lotte Group in charge of policy issues, said, "Job creation is one of the most important responsibilities of firms for the national economy. We will try to strengthen our hiring practice focusing on skills so that we could give more opportunities to young and competent people."
